King By Random Choice
by person226
Summary: Escetia needs a king. A council comes together in Camelot to chose the new king. A noble is supposed to be chosen...not a servant, especially Prince Arthur's manservant, Merlin. No slash
1. Chosen

A/N: First fanfic for the Merlin fandom...I have no idea where this story is going, but I do have the first few chapters planned out, so updates should be pretty consistent. New chapter should be up in a week...possibly. I don't really know if something like this has been done before, but if it has, please leave your thoughts and if it hasn't, could you please leave your thoughts still? Reviews are always great. So enjoy this!

Title: King By Random Choice

Summary: Escetia needs a king. A council comes together in Camelot to chose the new king. A noble is supposed to be chosen...not a servant, especially Prince Arthur's manservant, Merlin.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, BBC does. I just wish I could own Colin Morgan's ridiculously large ears!

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><p>Chosen<p>

"Did you finish mucking out _all_ of the stables?" Arthur asked as he walked down the corridor. He passed several servants that were scurrying about with their arms full of different items.

"Yes, sire. I wouldn't be running after you if I didn't." Merlin replied, as he had to practically jog to keep up with Arthur.

Arthur had been like this all morning; up and down the castle, sending Merlin to do little chores. Everyone seemed to be behaving the same way, rushing to get something done. Merlin had no idea what the rush was though. He had been in Camelot for nearly five years and never had he seen the place so busy.

"And did you make sure there was enough food and water for all the horses?"

"Yes, even though I see no point in me having to do it. Isn't that why we have stable boys?"

"The stable boys are busy helping the rest of the servants clean the castle." Arthur finally stopped once he was in his room.

Merlin leaned over to catch his breath. "Can you please explain to me what is going on? Why is everyone in a rush?"

"Have you ever heard of the Council of Kings?"

Merlin shook his head.

"I need you to wash this jacket and have it ready for tonight for the feast." Arthur tossed said jacket in Merlin's direction.

"Are you going to explain what this council is? And why am I now just being informed of this feast?" Merlin was starting to get exasperated.

"Right. The Council of Kings is exactly what it says. A council of kings."

"What's the big deal about it, then?" Merlin asked.

"This particular council has only gathered twice in all of the history of Albion. They only gather whenever there is a huge crisis in all of Albion."

Merlin thought over all that had happened in Camelot the past few weeks. They had defeated Cenred's undead army and Morgause and Morgana as well. "But it doesn't seem as if any crisis is going on though."

"No, but there is a kingdom without a king. Cenred has left Escetia without a ruler and there is no heir left to the throne. I doubt you know this, but whenever a kingdom is left without a ruler, chaos ensues in that particular kingdom."

Merlin swallowed hard as he thought of Ealdor. They were on the outskirts of Cenred's kingdom. He hoped everything was well for everyone, especially his mother. "So what's this council going to do?"

"Choose a new king for Escetia. Along with every king, all the nobles from all the kingdoms are gathering here for the choosing. That's also why there's going to be a huge feast tonight."

"Are the knights going to be there too? Not for the feast, but for the actual choosing of the king?" Merlin couldn't help but think how incredible it would be if one of his friends was chosen king. He smirked, imagining Gwaine as the king.

"Out of the knights, only Sir Leon is going to be there. I don't think the council wants someone like Gwaine becoming king."

Merlin chuckled and moved on to his next question. "Who's going to choose?"

"The leader of the council of course. The oldest king alive today, which I believe is King Avlar. Tomorrow morning, during the council, one of the nobles will become King of Escetia."

"Are they going to look at all the qualities of the man before they choose?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, they're just going to draw lots."

Merlin's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. "It's just going to be by random choice!"

"Yes. That's how they chose last time something like this happened."

"But what if the man is a complete idiot and doesn't know how to run a country?"

"Merlin, I can understand your concern, considering your mother lives in Escetia, but you shouldn't worry about it. Even though the king is chosen by random, it's really fate that chooses him. Whoever is chosen will be the king that Escetia needs."

Merlin sighed and allowed Arthur's words to bring a little comfort to him. "Whatever you say, Arthur."

"So you're okay then? Good. Now you can clean my jacket _and _my boots."

"Wait, I thought you just wanted your jacket cleaned?"

"Yes, but while we were talking I remembered my boots haven't been cleaned in a long time. So get to it. I want it done before supper."

"But that only gives me two hours! Do you know how long it takes to clean _just_ your boots?"

Arthur smiled menacingly. "Then I guess you better get to it."

* * *

><p>Merlin collapsed in a heap on the bench in Gaius' chambers. He had just come back from the feast. It had been the biggest feast he had never seen so many snooty, stuck-up mean and women in one room. More than half of them were incredibly rude to all of the servants too. Merlin had been tempted several times to use his magic to make their drinks spew into their faces.<p>

"I am _so_ hungry." Merlin exclaimed as he let his head fall on the table.

Gaius eyed him curiously as he entered in after him. "You didn't eat before the feast?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, I didn't have the chance. That prat of a prince made me clean both his boots and jacket, so by the time I finished, it was time for the feast and I had to go serve Arthur and I never got a chance to eat something myself! And of course Arthur had to get a little tipsy so I had to help him to his room and make sure he was in bed and had a basin next to him so he could throw up!"

"Oh…well I'm truly sorry, Merlin, but I thought you had already eaten."

Merlin looked at Gaius with a frown. "Please tell me you still have some food."

"I'm sorry, Merlin, but I gave away the left-overs to Gwen."

Merlin groaned as he stood up and headed towards his room. "That's fine…I guess…won't be the first time I go to bed hungry." He mumbled.

"Please stop mumbling, Merlin. You know how much I hate it. And are you sure you're not upset?"

Merlin wiped the scowl off his face before looking at his guardian. "No, why would I be?" he said as sarcastically as possibly

Gaius nodded approvingly, either ignoring or not noticing his sarcasm. "Since you're not too upset then, I need you up early to gather some herbs for me in the morning."

"But Arthur said I needed to be there for the ceremony in the morning."

"I know. You can wake up earlier to get that done for me." Gaius turned his back to Merlin as he started writing down a list of all the herbs he needed.

Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to figure out when he was going to be able to fit breakfast into his morning schedule.

* * *

><p>"<em>Merlin<em>!"

Merlin spun around when he heard Arthur coming into Gaius' chambers. He had just gotten back from gathering some of the herbs for Gaius. It had rain sometime in the night and when he went out in the morning, everything was muddy and slippery, making it impossibly hard to find all of the herbs. On top of that, he kept slipping and falling into patches of mud. Merlin had given up when he saw how late it was getting and came back to Gaius' chambers to eat a quick piece of bread before he went to the ceremony.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" Merlin asked, nearly dropping the bread from surprise.

"What am _I_ doing here? No, Merlin, I should be asking you that! Why are you here when the ceremony was supposed to have started several minutes ago?" Arthur yelled, his face turning slightly red.

Merlin blinked. "It's already started?"

"No, it hasn't started yet because the prince's manservant hasn't come! They can't continue until _everyone_ that was supposed to attend is there. Even if it is just an idiotic manservant they're missing"

"I am not idiotic!"

Arthur sniffed the air and scrunched up his nose. "Ugh, and change shirts! You smell awful!"

"I was outside trying to gather some herbs for Gaius!"

"I don't care what you were doing, just get changed and get to the throne room _immediately_."

"Yes, sire." Merlin said through clenched teeth as he glared at Arthur.

Arthur glared right back before turning on heel and heading back to the throne room.

Merlin hurried to his room once Arthur left and slipped on a red shirt, not caring that his neckerchief was red as well. With the bread lying forgotten on the table, Merlin ran to the throne room. The guards standing post opened the doors for him.

Once the doors opened, everyone in the throne room turned to look at Merlin, most wearing un-amused looks. Merlin paused at the entrance and chuckled nervously before hurrying to a spot beside Gaius.

"Merlin, why didn't you wash your face?" Gaius hissed as Uther began the introduction.

Merlin groaned. "I've got mud caked on my face, don't I?"

Gaius merely nodded his head, embarrassed by Merlin's appearance.

"Escetia is a kingdom that is rich in land and has many villages that are loyal to their kingdom. Without a king-"

Uther was interrupted by a loud growling sound. Everyone turned to the source, which just so happened to be Merlin. Merlin could feel the tip of his ears burning as well as his cheeks. "Th-that was just my…stomach." Merlin explained quietly.

Nearly all the nobles and royalty in the room rolled their eyes while Arthur shook his head in shame.

Uther cleared his throat. "As I was saying, without a king, Escetia could be ravaged by any of the surrounding kingdoms, slave traders, or bandits. The people would be thrown into a war without a leader guiding them. That is why we are gathered here today. To choose a new king for Escetia."

A much older man stepped forward the moment Uther finished speaking. His head was still full of hair, even if it was snow white. His old, brown eyes told the tale of many years filled with sadness and joy. His clothing looked much finer than anything Uther owned, but he didn't flaunt the fact that he was richer than most in the room.

"I am King Alvarr of Hibernia." He did his best to talk as fast as his squeaky voice would allow him to. His accent was different from most of the people in the room, making it a bit difficult to understand his words. "Today, a new king for Escetia will be chosen."

"Guard, bring out the lots." Uther told the closest guard to him.

King Alvarr raised his hand. "That will not be necessary."

"Then how will the new king be chosen?"

"I will point to him. My eyes will be closed and my inner being will show me."

"But drawing lots is how it's always been done." Pointed out King Bayard. "It's tradition

"It has only been done once because it has only been needed to be done once. But if you choose to consider that a tradition, then more than one tradition will be broken." King Alvarr said ominously. Merlin shifted his weight as he felt King Alvarr look at him for a few moments too long.

"If everyone is prepared, I will begin." He said before closing his eyes and lifting his bony hand with his finger outstretched. He blindly walked around the room, nearly crashing into several people and walls. Just before he could bump into anything, he would turn in a different direction and avoid collision.

"Can Arthur be chosen?" Merlin whispered to Gaius.

"No. Since Arthur is heir to the throne of Camelot, he cannot be chosen. No king or firstborn male heir can be chosen today." Gaius responded.

"So then why do I have to be here? I could be doing a number of other things. I don't even understand why it couldn't have started without me. I am _just_ a servant anyways."

"Merlin, quiet." Gaius hissed.

Merlin sighed heavily as he looked down at his boots. This was ridiculous. Half of his face was covered in mud, his clothes looked horrible, he never finished gathering all the herbs for Gaius, Arthur had a long list of chores for him to do, and his last meal had been about this same time _yesterday. _He was just ready for one of these pompous men to be made king already so he could leave.

"You. You will be the new king of Escetia."

There were several astonished gasps and Merlin chuckled to himself, still staring at his boots. The old man probably chose Lord Goma, the laziest man in all of Albion. He wondered how that was going to work for the people of Escetia.

"He can't be king!" Uther shouted. "He's a mere servant!"

At this, Merlin lifted his head to see who the lucky servant was. His eyes widened in shock when he saw King Alvarr standing in front of him with his finger pointed directly at him. Merlin blinked a few times before looking around. He laughed softly out of shock. "You…you mean me? You can't possibly mean me."

"No, Merlin, he's probably pointing at Lord Chavis, who is standing behind you." Arthur said, being completely serious.

"I am not pointing at Lord Chavis." King Alvarr said. "I am pointing at the boy. Your name is Merlin, correct?"

Merlin slowly nodded his head, trying to make sense of what was going on.

King Alvarr turned back around to face everyone. "It has been decided!" he proclaimed. "Merlin is the new king of Escetia! Anyone who disagrees will have to speak to me. I can assure you though it will do no use. I have decided and the decision is final."

"You can't expect Merlin to be king! No offense to him, but he's useless!" Arthur exclaimed as he stood up.

"I really am." Merlin added. He cringed as he felt his stomach about to growl again. "I wouldn't know what to do! I can't be king! I know nothing about royal duties or things like that!"

The old man smiled. "Ah, but you can always learn, Merlin. You will be a great king, sire." He said as he bowed to Merlin. "You will leave to your new kingdom in two days. Your subjects eagerly await your arrival. If you'll excuse me, I'm feeling extremely tired. I will be in my room if anyone wishes to speak to me."

With that being said, he bowed to Uther, then Arthur, and finally Merlin and walked out of the room.

There was a dead silence once he left as they all stared at Merlin. Merlin gave a nervous laugh. "I'm sure there's been a mistake-"

"No," Uther said suddenly. He stood up and walked towards Merlin. "There are no mistakes when a new king is chosen. It does not matter how ridiculous the choice is." He said solemnly staring Merlin down from head to toe. He grabbed Merlin's hand, startling Merlin, and raised it up to the air. "Long live King Merlin of Escetia!"

No one really knew if this was some sort of elaborate joke or if this was serious. But after a few moment of King Uther shouting by himself, people slowly started joining him until everyone in the throne room was shouting along with him. "Long live King Merlin! Long live King Merlin!"

There was no way this was happening. Merlin couldn't even believe it himself. He had actually been made King of Escetia.

* * *

><p>A cloaked woman stood alone in the forest. She towered over a small basin of water that was held up by a stone pillar. She removed her hood, revealing short, black hair that didn't even reach her shoulders. Her eyes took in her surroundings, making sure no one was hiding behind one of the many trees or a boulder.<p>

Satisfied that no one was watching her, she held her hand over the basin and uttered a few words in a foreign language. Her eyes glowed a bright gold and she waited for the water to reveal what she asked for. The water did nothing.

She let out a low growl as she splashed the water, frustrated at her inability to get the answer she wanted. One way or another, she would find out who the new king of Escetia was and once she did, she could being her work again.


	2. Refusal

A/N: Thanks everyone for all the super nice reviews! I always like getting a lot of reviews whenever I write my first story for a new fandom. Oh and question! Do you prefer super long chapters or short chapters or is this chapter long enough? What happened was that when I was writing this, I kind of just kept typing and when I went back to read over it, I ended up cutting the chapter. So let me know how long you like the chapters. I should get a new chapter up sometime next week, so be sure and keep an eye out for it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and any kind of thoughts or comments are always appreciated! Enjoy!

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><p>Refusal<p>

Gaius slowly closed the door behind him to his room. He looked around the place, knowing that in a few days, it was only going to be him again. Merlin had been made king and he was going to have to leave for Escetia. It was his duty and might even be his destiny.

He walked towards his workbench and sat down. His hand covered his mouth as he still tried to process what had happened in the Council of Kings. After King Alvarr left the room and Uther was done chanting Merlin's name, several people came in and dragged Merlin away. From what Gaius understood, they were going to take measurements of Merlin to make new clothes for him. He wasn't sure, but he also heard there was going to be a feast tonight in Merlin's honor.

Merlin had left the room still yelling about how unbelievable the whole situation was and that he wasn't the new king. Well…he was and there was nothing he could do about it. Unless he talked with King Alvarr, but King Alvarr seemed to have already made his mind up.

Gaius thought there was something strange about King Alvarr. He didn't know what it was exactly, but there was something. How else could he have chosen Merlin?

The door flew open, nearly scaring Gaius into his grave. Merlin came in and quickly closed the door, locking it as well. "There has to be something I can do! I don't want to be king!" Merlin said in a loud whisper. He was going around the entire room, looking for a good place to hide and still be able to talk to Gaius.

Gaius watched him, unable to help his raised eyebrow. His hair was wet, his brown jacket and neckerchief missing and his face looked cleaner than it had ever been since he first came to Camelot. "What are you doing here? And why are you wet?"

"They tried to give me bath! A bath, Gaius! I can bathe myself perfectly fine!" Merlin crouched down in a far corner of the room and covered himself completely with blankets.

Gaius frowned. "Merlin, what on earth are you doing?"

"They're going to be here any minute!" Merlin hissed from under the blankets.

"Who is?"

At that exact moment a guard walked. "Sorry to disturb you, Gaius, but we're looking for Merlin. Or I mean King Merlin. He took off while they were trying to bathe him."

Gaius glanced at Merlin's form under the blanket. He could tell him Merlin was here and let Merlin finally get a decent bath. Or he could say nothing and end up having to deal with Merlin's ranting about not wanting to be king.

With a sigh, Gaius spoke, having made his decision. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen Merlin since the servants took him to be measured. I'll let you know if I see him, though."

The guard gave a small nod of his head before leaving the room.

Gaius waited until he couldn't hear the guard's footfalls anymore. "All right, Merlin. You can come out now."

Merlin jumped up and ran to Gaius, giving him a tight hug. "Thank you so much!" he said, still whispering. "I don't know what else they might've done if I had gone with them."

Gaius pried Merlin off of him. "You could've at least gotten that bath. It wouldn't have been such a horrible thing."

Merlin frowned at Gaius' comment, but right now wasn't the time to say anything about it. "So what can I do, Gaius? Can I give my rights up or something? Hand over the kingdom to someone a lot more capable?"

Gaius shook his head. "There is absolutely nothing you can do this time, Merlin. You are now King Merlin."

"But I don't want to be! How many times do I have to say it before someone listens and gives the crown to someone else?" Merlin whined as he sat down. "I just want to stay in Camelot, continue being Arthur's servant and finish my destiny! How am I supposed to protect Arthur when I don't even live in Camelot?"

"I don't know, but have you ever considered that maybe this is just how your destiny will be completed?"

Merlin groaned and let his head hit the table. "How could I possibly fulfill my destiny in a completely different kingdom? Do you know how many times Arthur has gotten into trouble _just _in Camelot? It's as if he has a target placed on his forehead and everyone wants a go at it. " Merlin looked up at Gaius, "How do things like this happen to me? _Why_ do things like this happen!"

Gaius was really starting to get exasperated with Merlin's behavior. "Things happen a lot of times that we just can't explain."

Merlin couldn't help but roll his eyes at Gaius' line. He stood up and looked out the window. The sun was already high in the sky. "Do you think Arthur would know how to relinquish rights to a throne? I mean, he's done it before; he has to know all the laws dealing with that. What if I ask him to see what he thinks?"

"Merlin, I don't believe that's a good idea…" Gaius said in a slight warning tone.

"How can it not be? I'm going to talk to him."

"You shouldn't-"

He left before Gaius could get past the first three words. Gaius stared at the closed door and shook his head. Merlin really was determined not to be King of Escetia.

* * *

><p>Merlin walked down the hallway towards Arthur's room. He kept his head down to insure no one would be able to see his face. But those who managed to catch his eyes would stare back in shock, and if they were servants, they would give a quick bow. But if they were nobles, they would only stare in wonder, trying to wrap their minds around the fact that he was now a king.<p>

While passing several maids and servants, Merlin could hear small portions of their conversation. All of them were centered on the news that Arthur's manservant was now king.

"I still can't believe that twig of a boy was made king! I would've expected someone much stockier."

"And a servant too! Did King Uther actually approve of that?"

"I heard that King Alvarr knows Merlin's mother personally and made an agreement with her to make him king."

"What do you think Prince Arthur thinks of all this? Those two are always together, now Merlin's going to have to leave."

"I can't imagine what's going to happen to the prince now. Merlin seemed to have straightened him up some."

Merlin paused in the shadow of a pillar for a moment to gather his thoughts. How did all of the servants know what happened? Yes, he knew the news was going to get out eventually, but this soon? It had only happened an hour ago! Someone must've told them. The first person that came to mind was Sit Leon. He always had loose lips when it came to things like this. He made a mental reminder to get back at Sir Leon. Maybe Gwaine or Lancelot could help him out.

"There he is! Quick, get him!"

Merlin spun around and saw two guards running towards him and the same scullery maid that had tried to give him a bath. She was pointing right at him and had her eyes narrowed. There was not a trace of happiness or amusement on her face.

Merlin spun on his heel and ran, not caring who saw him anymore. He just needed to get away from the guards and that dratted scullery maid. He made several quick turns, hoping to loose the guards. He could still hear them running after him, but he entered a hall that he memorized the first week he'd been in Camelot. The same hall Arthur's room was in. He ran past several rooms before running into Arthur's room.

Arthur had been sitting at the table, looking over some papers when Merlin had burst in. He jumped in surprise. "_Merlin! _What in the world are you-!"

"I'm not here! I was never here and you haven't seen me since the meeting!" Merlin quickly explained as he started to crawl under the bed. His mind barely registered a young boy in the room that had been making the bed.

Before Arthur could even question Merlin, the guards came in.

"Sire, I'm sorry to disturb you, but we're looking for Merl…er, King Merlin. Have you seen him?"

"No," Arthur said in a calm voice. "Not since this morning."

"Oh, well I'm sorry, Sire. I hope I didn't disturb you." The guard said with a polite bow.

Arthur harrumphed. "Just don't let it happen again." He closed the door.

As soon as the guard left the room, Arthur stood up and crossed his arms. "He's gone."

Merlin poked his head out from under the bed and stared up at Arthur. "Oh, thank you so much! I thought you were actually going to tell him something."

"I still might tell him something, but only after I find out why you are hiding from him. What did you do?"

"Arthur! You can't tell him! Please! They're trying to give me a bath!" Merlin exclaimed as he jumped up. He cleared himself of the dust bunnies that had gathered on him. "I should really start cleaning under your bed."

Arthur looked away and sighed. "Merlin, you're not going to be cleaning anything anymore."

"Why not? Are you actually going to fire me? What did I do this time?"

"Uh, excuse me, Sire, but I've finished making your bed. Do you have any clothes you need me to wash?" the boy finally spoke.

"I think there's a pile in my wardrobe."

The boy gave a small bow and headed to Arthur's wardrobe, gathering said pile.

"Wait, who's he? Is he you're new servant? You've already replaced me?" Merlin cried.

"Merlin, you're not allowed to be my manservant anymore! You've been made king and kings are not servants!" Arthur yelled. He couldn't understand why Merlin seemed to refuse this fact.

Merlin glared at Arthur before turning back to the boy who was still gathering the clothes. "What's your name?"

He slowly turned around and stared at Merlin with utter surprise. "Humphrey, your highness. Humphrey Billard."

Merlin grimaced at being called your highness. It was bad when that scullery maid had called him that, but it was worse when this young boy said it. "Please, don't call me that. But you said Billard? Do you happen to be Gregor Billard's boy? The one that works in the stables?"

Humphrey's face lit up. "I am, sir. He's my dad, he is. Great man isn't he."

Merlin smiled in amusement. "Well, then Humphrey, since you're Gregor's son, you can have the rest of the day off."

"Merlin, you can not give my manservant the rest of the day off." Arthur said in an annoyed tone.

"I'm a king, aren't I? Doesn't that mean I'm higher than a prince?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes before waving his hand at Humphrey, giving him permission to leave.

Humphrey's face was covered with a grin. "Thank you, Sire!" he said with a low bow directed towards both Merlin and Arthur.

Merlin turned to Arthur as soon as Humphrey was gone. He couldn't help the victorious grin on his face.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. You've just made my servant run off. And it seemed like he was actually going to get things done, unlike my previous manservant.

"I had to! Besides, I'm your servant and no one else can take my spot. Anyways, I needed to ask you for your help."

Arthur gave Merlin a wary look. "With what?'

"Remember when you relinquished your rights to the throne?"

Arthur groaned, knowing exactly where this was going. "The decision has been made. Nothing can be done to change it."

"But there has to be some kind of law! A clause even!"

"The only way you can possibly relinquish the throne is if you have a son that is _at least_ fifteen years old."

"Great, so I'm going to have to get married, have my wife produce and heir and wait nine months to even know if it's a son. And then if it isn't, I'm just going to have to wait even more time! Besides, you didn't have a son, but you still relinquished your rights! Why can't I do that?"

"Because there's absolutely no king in Escetia right now. The kingdom is going through civil unrest. You can't relinquish your rights."

"But…there has to be something I can do! What if I hand the entire kingdom to your father? That'd be a good idea wouldn't it?" Merlin was desperate at this point. He was up for anything.

"No. That could produce an uprising in Escetia." Arthur took a seat at the table and watched Merlin as he started pacing.

"I don't know how to be a king, Arthur." Merlin said as he threw his hands in the air. "I know nothing about laws, or court manners, or even guidelines about war!" he paused. "What if there's a war. We'd be completely destroyed because I don't know anything about battle strategy!"

"You'll learn eventually and you're going to have advisors you can always ask." Arthur said while going back to the papers he had been looking over before Merlin came in.

"Is there really no way out of this?" Merlin asked softly.

Arthur looked up again at Merlin and could see how hopeless he was. "I'm afraid not." Arthur replied.

Merlin sighed heavily. "Might as well get the rest of my chores done." He grumbled as he headed towards a bucket full of water Humphrey left. He reached in and grabbed the rag.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked after watching Merlin wring the rag nearly dry.

"I'm going to clean the floor. It's what I do every day…or at least I'm supposed to, but that's a different discussion all together." Merlin ended up mumbling towards the end of his sentence.

Arthur stood up and grabbed the rag from Merlin, tossing it back into the bucket with a soft _plunk_. "You know, I could seriously hit the back of your head right now for not cleaning my floors every day. But I'm not because you're a king. And because you're a king, you can't clean my floors anymore. I'd be punished if my father found out you were still doing my chores. Humphrey can do it in the morning."

"Oh come on, Arthur!"

"Merlin, I said no."

"But aren't I still the same person?"

Arthur gave Merlin a long stare. "Yes, you're the same person, except now you have an added title. _King_ Merlin. You're a king now."

"But-!"

"Why don't we go down to the tavern? Have a few drinks. It would probably do you some good." Arthur said as he slapped Merlin on the back.

Merlin winced after Arthur slapped him. "How is that going to solve anything?"

"It probably won't solve anything, but at least you'll be so drunk you won't care." Arthur said with a grin.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I really don't like getting drunk and what if that scullery maid finds me again?"

"Well…let's just say it wouldn't be such a horrible thing if you actually took a bath."

* * *

><p>She tried to clear her face of the ashes. She had gone into the city to buy a few things, but there was an execution taking place. Death by fire. She could remember that horrid stench of burning flesh. The ash floating around in the air because of it.<p>

There was more ash than usual though. It was too much ash for only one person, or even two at that matter. No, a slaughter had taken place in the city and no one had done anything to stop it. They were too afraid.

"Hunith! Back so soon? I thought you were going to stay the night at a little inn?" called out one of the ladies that was outside watching her children play. "Is that ash on your face? Was there a fire in the city? Is that why you left?"

Hunith ignored the woman and quickened her pace. She entered her small house without answering anyone and dropped all of her items on the ground. Grabbing a piece of parchment, a quill, and an ink well, she started writing a hurried letter. He needed to be warned if he was thinking about vising her. He couldn't come here. If he did, they'd surely find him and this time they would kill him.


	3. Conversations

A/N: Thank you readers for all the nice reviews! If I had virtual cookies, I'd send them all to you! *makes mental note to start baking virtual cookies and desserts* Enjoy this new chapter and be cool and leave a review.

Oh and helva2260 pointed out a mistake of locations. Cenred was king of _Escetia_. Kind of got my information from the wrong place…but I corrected it and thank you so much helva2260 for pointing that out. I felt so silly when I realized my mistake.

Well, yeah, that's the end of my author's note. I leave you people to the reading…

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><p>Conversations<p>

The entire walk, Merlin had kept his head down and made sure none of the guards really noticed him. Yes, it was harder since he was walking next to Prince Arthur, but he managed. Okay, so maybe he did whisper a small incantation to make himself unnoticeable to the guards. He just couldn't wait until he reached the tavern. It wasn't that he wanted to get drunk. He actually wasn't planning on having any drinks. No, it was because the tavern might be the only place left in Camelot that had people who still didn't know Merlin was now a king.

"Arthur, I just don't know about going to the tavern. With our luck, something is bound to happen." Merlin said as they were just a few yards away from The Rising Sun.

"Nothing is going to happen. Now would you stop worrying so much? Just think about how good the mead is going to taste."

"I already told you I'm not drinking anything. I don't like getting drunk." A small pout appeared on Merlin's face.

"Fine, we can go somewhere else or not even go anywhere at all. But aren't you hungry?"

Merlin's stomach immediately growled in response. "All right, we can go in. I still don't like the idea though." He said before they went in.

Arthur opened the door and Merlin was able to see everyone that was there. It wasn't a lot of people since it was barely midday, but there were a few customers. Unfortunately, Gwaine and Lancelot were two of the customers. Gwaine had a few empty mugs in front of him while Lancelot had just one and a plate of half-eaten food.

Merlin quickly spun around. He did not want to talk to either of them. They were either going to poke fun at him or convince him to take the throne. "I'm leaving."

"No you're not. You're going _in_." Arthur spun Merlin back around.

"Is that…Merlin? Merlin! What are you doing here?" Gwaine called out as he stood up on unsteady legs.

Lancelot turned to look at them and grinned knowingly.

"Everyone! The Prince of Camelot is here and so is the new King of Escetia, Merlin!" Gwaine announced, spinning around for everyone to hear.

Several drunken cheers were heard as Arthur shoved Merlin towards the two unorthodox knights.

"So then it is true." Lancelot said as Merlin and Arthur joined them at their table. "Merlin is a king."

"No, I'm not. I don't want to be king and I'm not going to be king." Merlin said.

"What? But you can't do that Merlin! You have to take the throne!" Gwaine exclaimed.

The barmaid came to take Arthur and Merlin's order. She gave a small curtsey but kept her gaze focused on Merlin. Merlin felt it and began shifting uncomfortably on the bench.

"I'll have a mead and Merlin would like a plate of food please." Arthur said.

The barmaid grinned as she looked at Merlin. "Of course, your highness. I'll have the plate specially prepared for you. You know I've always liked you-"

Arthur cleared his throat. The barmaid jumped slightly, gave a small curtsey and left, but not before winking at Merlin.

Merlin groaned. "Another reason why I don't want to be king! Everyone just sucks up to you and acts nice even if they don't like you! That woman used to hate me! But now since I'm a 'royal' I'm suddenly extremely likeable? I mean, not everyone likes Arthur, but they have to act like they do! How can you possibly stand it?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I always just thought I was a likeable man."

"Uh, well…"

"So Merlin," Lancelot interrupted. "You've been chosen as King of Escetia. You know you can't back down. It's your duty to follow through with the role."

"I've said it a million times: I don't want to be king! I don't know the first thing about being a king! Besides, I like my life here in Camelot." Merlin practically yelled.

"A lot of people receive positions that they don't know the first thing about. Take Gwaine for example. He doesn't know the first thing about being a knight." Arthur pointed out.

"Hey! I may be drunk, but I know when someone's offending my honor!" Gwaine said as he pointed a finger in Arthur's direction.

The barmaid came back and gave them their order. She slowly walked away, giving Merlin her best sultry look.

Merlin felt his ears turning red when he turned to look at Arthur, Lancelot, and Gwaine. They all had smirks on their faces. Merlin immediately looked down at his plate and began picking at the chicken and cheese. "Don't even say anything. Not one word from any of you

Gwaine laughed and clapped Merlin on the back. "So _King _Merlin, when are you leaving?"

"I don't know. I was kind of hoping to talk with King Alvarr…maybe convince him to change his mind?"

"He already said his mind was made up. Nothing that anyone can say will do anything." Arthur said, sipping his mead carefully. "He'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."

"So soon? That gives you no time to pack!" Gwaine exclaimed.

"I'm sure Merlin doesn't have much to pack." Arthur said with a smirk.

Merlin looked up to glare at Arthur, but said nothing in reply. He was in no mood to argue with him.

"You seem to be taking this well," Lancelot said to Arthur. "You're not covering up how much you're going to miss him, are you?"

It was Merlin's turn to smirk.

Arthur opened his mouth to say something. Nothing came out. He closed it, then opened it again but still said nothing. Merlin quietly mused that he looked much like a fish out of water.

"I'm not going to miss Merlin because he's been the most incompetent servant _ever_. Maybe he really is supposed to be king because he isn't good at being a servant or anything else for that matter." Arthur finally said after several attempts to say _anything_.

"You can tell yourself that all you want, but I can tell you right now, Arthur Pendragon, that you are going to miss Merlin." Gwaine said with a hiccup at the end. "Who else is going to tell you when you've messed up? The cook?"

Merlin laughed. "Yeah, I can see that boot licker going up to Arthur and calling him prince of all things prat-ish."

Momentarily forgetting Merlin's new title, Arthur raised his hand to slap Merlin's head. Merlin saw the hand and ducked, but just as Arthur was about to swing, he remembered Merlin being a king. He lowered his hand and took a good long drink of mead.

"Oh, I've just had a great idea! I can be one of you knights! The highest ranking knight there is." Gwaine said. He held his head up proudly. "Imagine it. Sir Gwaine, Knight of Escetia."

Arthur gave a humorless smile. "You can't be a knight for two kingdoms. And once you're a knight of Camelot, you're always a knight of Camelot. The only way for you _not_ to be a knight anymore would be for me to revoke your knighthood."

"Then do it! I want to go with Merlin!"

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're good with a sword and I don't plan on revoking your knighthood anytime soon."

Gwaine's face fell and he drank more of his mead.

"Maybe we could visit you after you get settled in." Lancelot suggested.

Merlin groaned. "I'm never going to get settled in."

"Don't worry about it, Merlin. I'm sure you will be able to settle in and pretty soon you'll get the hang of it." Lancelot said.

"Yeah, all the laws and traditions he has to remember, court behavior, learning about war craft, memorizing all the places in Escetia. Well, I guess he won't have that much of a hard time since he's originally from Escetia, even if it is just a tiny village on the border of the kingdom." Gwaine said.

"That's it." Merlin said as he stood abruptly. "I'm going to go find that King Alvarr and talk to him."

Lancelot and Gwaine watched Merlin walk out of the tavern. Arthur just continued sipping his mead.

"Aren't you going to follow him?" Lancelot asked.

Arthur set down his mug. "Yes, just let me finish this. You can put it on my tab once I leave."

* * *

><p>Merlin walked down the corridor with his head held high. Nothing was going to stop him from talking to King Alvarr.<p>

"I swear, if I don't find that man…"

Merlin froze as he heard that scullery maid coming towards him from a different corridor. He slowly started walking backwards before turning around and bumping into someone.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I saw you, but then you turned around and…"

Merlin smiled as he saw that it was Gwen. He started helping her pick up the fabric she had dropped. "Don't worry about it Gwen."

Gwen looked up and her eyes widened. "Merlin…I mean, King Merlin…I don't…oh dear." she had no idea anymore what to call Merlin.

Merlin sighed. "Gwen, please. You don't have to call me that because I don't want you to. Besides, I'm not even a real king."

"But I heard that you were chosen during the Council of Kings. Something like that can't just be undone." Gwen said as she stood up with all the fabrics in her arms again.

"Yeah, well…I guess this time will be a first." He said with a small grin.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do to _not_ be king?"

"I was going to talk to King Alvarr."

Gwen grimaced. "From what I've heard about him, he doesn't make decisions lightly and once he's decided something, he doesn't change it for anything."

"But he chose me with his eyes closed! Don't you think that's making a decision lightly!"

Gwen looked around before leaning in to continue speaking. "I've also heard that King Alvarr is able to see into the future. He's a seer. Maybe he already knew you were going to be a king?"

Merlin quirked an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"I don't know if it's actually true, but everyone from every kingdom agrees that King Alvarr possesses a…'special' talent."

Merlin was going to say something more, but a firm hand on his wrist caused him to turn around.

"You are not going to run away this time. You are going to get a bath so you can look presentable for the feast they're having in your honor tonight."

Merlin was shocked. He didn't know if it was because the scullery maid had finally caught him or if it was because he just found out about a feast that was going to be in his honor. _His_ honor!

Well, since he wasn't going to get away this time, Merlin was probably going to have to wait until the feast to talk with King Alvarr. He'd have to endure 'the bath' as well.

* * *

><p>After a quick training session with his knights and avoiding all questions from them about Merlin becoming a king, Arthur went back inside the castle. His mission: find King Alvarr and talk to him. Find out if he really did change his mind. Maybe Merlin was still talking with him even.<p>

As he rounded a corner, he saw his father walking King Odin. They were talking civilly. Arthur couldn't help but be surprised, considering what happened last time King Odin was here. He stayed hidden in a doorway, hoping to catch their conversation.

"Don't tell me that you actually believe that servant is competent of ruling a kingdom?" Odin said.

"As I've said before Odin I don't know. We might end up being surprised. Maybe this…oh what was his name again…Merlin will turn out to be a great king." Uther replied.

Odin snorted. "Servants stay servants, nobles stay nobles, and royals stay royals. That's how it's been for ages and that's how order has still been maintained in all of Albion. Escetia should've just been divided up equally for all the kingdoms."

"And I'm assuming you'd get the biggest share?" Uther quipped.

"If I had to, then yes." Odin said.

Uther shook his head. "Well Odin, I think King Alvarr was right. Maybe it's time to break tradition. Cross over the boundaries of social status."

Odin stopped to look at Uther. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "What exactly are you trying to do, Uther?"

Uther chuckled. "Do I look like I'm scheming something?"

"Yes. You've always looked like that to me, but I think this time you might actually be scheming something…"

A laugh escaped Uther's lips. He clapped Odin's back and said. "Odin, you worry too much. Why would I be scheming something when this is a time to celebrate? Besides, if I was scheming anything, I would _never_ tell you anything about it."

Arthur couldn't hear anymore of the conversation. He came out from the doorway and slowly started walking aimlessly. It didn't make sense. Why was Uther so quick at accepting Merlin as the King of Escetia? Everyone else was still trying to wrap their mind around it, especially Merlin himself.

"Prince Arthur, you need to start getting ready for the feast."

Arthur turned around and saw a servant in front of him. "Feast? There's going to be another feast?"

"Yes, sire." The servant said with a dip of his head. "It's going to be in honor of King Merlin."

Arthur groaned. "Please don't call him that in front of me."

"But that's-"

"No one else will have to know, it'll just be between you and me, understood?" Arthur said sternly.

The servant quickly nodded his head. "But you still should get ready for the feast. A bath has already been drawn in your room."

"Thank you," Arthur dismissed the servant and began walking towards his room. As he headed to his room, he remembered that he was going to talk with King Alvarr. He could probably talk with him during the feast.

* * *

><p>The wind caused his dark hair to blow into his hazel eyes as he stood on the balcony and looked down at the courtyard below. Several guards and servants were disassembling the used pyre. The burnt smell was still fresh in the air.<p>

The sun was already dipping behind the horizon. He didn't realize that it take the entire day to finish all the executions.

"Well, Sheriff Harvey. I'm surprised with you. I only brought in twenty people to be executed and yet there was execution of thirty five."

Harvey turned around. His dark eyes showed his disgust towards the person next to him. "Sir Rylan. What are you doing here?"

Sir Rylan was one of the few knights who wasn't killed or drank from the cup of life. He was also one of the few knights that Sheriff Harvey could stand. "I asked a question first. But knowing you, I'm never going to get an answer to I'll just go ahead and give you my answer. I came up here because I knew you were going to be here. I needed to speak with you."

"Is it important?" Harvey asked with a heavy sigh.

"If you consider our new king important, then yes."

Harvey sharply turned to look at Rylan. "You've heard news? Do you know who is he is then?"

Rylan smirked. "No, I haven't heard any news. No real news at least, just gossip from the taverns." He looked at his fingers and began picking at his nails.

Harvey looked away as his interest flew out the window.

"People are talking saying that a king has already been chosen." Rylan continued, not caring that Harvey was showing no interest.

"I believe so, too. The sun is setting already. We'll meet the new king in no less then two days." Harvey said shortly. He just wished Rylan would leave him alone. That man was the most annoying man in all of Escetia.

"But they're also saying that he's from Escetia."

Harvey frowned. How could that be? A noble had to be chosen and none of the nobles from Escetia had gone. "Impossible."

Rylan chuckled grimly. "I think not…"

"Do you know something I don't know?" Harvey asked as he looked at Rylan.

Rylan shook his head. "No, I've told you all the rumors I've heard already."

"Then that's all that they are. Rumors."

"But the rumors could always turn out to be true." Rylan said in a small sing-song voice.

"Don't you have men to train?" Harvey said. He was fed up with Rylan.

Rylan smirked. "And don't you have people to arrest? Especially with this new law and the guards-"

"Excuse me, Rylan. I believe there's something I need to attend to." Harvey didn't even try to come up with a better excuse as he walked away.

While Harvey thought it would be beneficial if the new king was from Escetia, he knew it was highly unlikely. No, the new king was probably a strong man who would return Escetia back to its former glory. A glory that would finally be greater than Camelot's.


	4. Positions

A/N: So…this chapter has actually been sitting in my computer for a few days now…sorry I didn't post it sooner! Either way, it's up. Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are great :D Hope you all enjoy and if you enjoy, it'd be pretty sweet if you left a review for me…

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><p>Positions<p>

Arthur felt his stomach beginning to tingle. He knew it was going to start growling if food wasn't put in his stomach. They had been at this feast for almost thirty minutes and Merlin, the guest of honor, had yet to arrive. Everyone could drink their wine, but the food had to wait until Merlin came in and was officially introduced.

Already, some of the nobility was beginning to get drunk. Arthur hoped that they weren't drunk enough to say anything stupid, _especially_ during the toasts. Looking past the nobility, he spotted King Alvarr siting a little isolated from everyone else. King Alvarr seemed to be staring right at him, though. Arthur squinted his eyes before looking away quickly. Holding King Alvarr's gaze made him feel…uneasy for some reason. He needed to remember to talk to him, though.

"I didn't know your friend could take so long to get ready." Uther said.

Arthur knew Uther was referring to Merlin, but it still surprised him. Uther never would've referred to Merlin as Arthur's friend. He turned to look at his father who was sitting to his right. "Well, he was always late when he was my manservant."

Uther grunted in response. He glanced around the room before leaning in. "Did he know of our defenses?"

Arthur blinked, caught off-guard by how ridiculous the question sounded. "What?"

"Our defenses, Arthur. Did you ever tell him anything of them?"

"Uh…well, I-"

A trumpet sounded and everyone hushed. A guard stepped forward. "Presenting King Merlin of Escetia." He said before opening the door.

Everyone (including Arthur and his father) stood as the doors opened. There stood Merlin who looked both extremely uncomfortably and awkwardly out of place. He wore fitted black pants, a red tunic with a black jacket on top with the crest of Escetia resting boldly on his chest. There was even a small red cape attached to his shoulders and flowing down his back. A large silver crown decorated with black and red jewels was on the top of his hair.

"King Merlin!" Uther was the first to speak. He moved away from the table and walked up to Merlin. He firmly grabbed his arm. "Come, your seat is at my right-hand, the highest place of honor in Camelot."

Merlin tried to say something, but his tongue felt thick and refused to cooperate. He did his best not to notice the strange looks on everyone's face as he stood next to Uther at the head table.

Raising his hands, Uther said, "The guest of honor has finally arrived! Let the feast begin!"

Several cheers echoed in the hall as everyone took a seat and the food was brought out.

Merlin did his best to sit still as he waited for his own plate to come. He felt nervous sitting next to Uther. Yes, he had stood close to him when serving him wine during meals he had with Arthur, but he had never _sat_ close to him. There was a huge difference in Merlin's mind.

"Are you excited to see your new kingdom?" Uther asked.

Merlin wondered briefly if Uther really was talking to him. He looked past Uther and saw Arthur who looked like he was trying to ignore the entire situation. _Stupid prat_. Why couldn't he get him out of talking with Uther? "Um…well, sire…n-no, not really. I mean…I have seen it several times before…it probably hasn't changed much." Merlin looked at his goblet full of wine. Maybe if he got drunk, this evening would be easier to get through…

"Really? I never thought your parents would take you there in your youth. Especially since Escetia never had good relations with Camelot while Cenred was on the throne."

Merlin winced visibly. How was he supposed to explain this? What if Uther asked why he left for Camelot in the first place? "Actually…-"

"Merlin's from Escetia. He was born in Ealdor, a small village on the border." Arthur finally intervened.

Uther frowned. "I always believed you were from Camelot."

"No…remember my mother came here asking for help? She said she was from Ealdor?"

The frown stayed on Uther's face. "I thought she was just the mother of some other servant. Whatever happened to her? I don't expect fate was kind since they had no way to defend themselves."

Merlin glanced at Arthur who was motioning form Merlin not to say anything. It would be an understatement to say Merlin was slightly annoyed by the fact that Uther didn't seem to show any concern over anyone that wasn't royal.

Just as Uther was about to press the subject further, a plate of food was finally placed in front of Merlin.

"Here you go, sire. Hope everything is to your liking."

Merlin looked up and saw that it was Gwen who was serving him. His face instantly lit up, but she shook her head, glancing at Uther and the rest of the people gathered there. Merlin slowly nodded his head in realization. He couldn't speak to his own friend in front of other royalty. They were in different social classes now.

He watched as Gwen scurried to Arthur's side to serve him his plate. Merlin couldn't stop a smile as he saw Arthur gently touch Gwen's hand for a quick moment and the small smile that appeared on both their faces.

The smile on Merlin's face disappeared though, as his new crown began slipping off the side of his head. He did his best to fix it inconspicuously, but he knew a few of the noblemen saw his action. He just hoped he didn't have to wear the stupid thing all the time. He didn't understand how King Uther, or any of the other kings and princes for that matter, could stand wearing such a heavy crown.

"Merlin, I can't imagine the wonderful things I know you're bound to do in Escetia." Uther said, his mouth half full with food.

Merlin paid half attention to Uther as he stared down at his own plate of food. There was meat (a _bunch_ of it too) cheese, bread, even fruit and vegetables. When he would serve Arthur his meals, he would always see his plates filled like this, but he never imagined that one day he'd be able to eat a plate just like it. Maybe becoming a king had its perks.

Uther continued chattering away. Merlin was surprised Uther could talk so much. He always thought Uther was a man of little words. He even thought Uther would be less talkative with what happened with Morgana. Guess he was wrong. Arthur would throw in the occasional comment, but Merlin merely nodded and hummed in response. He wasn't paying any real attention to what Uther (or Arthur for that matter) was saying. In fact, Merlin was more interested in the wondrous food that he had been served.

After a while, Uther stood up with his goblet in hand. "I would like to say a few words about the new king!" his voice echoed throughout the dining hall.

There were a few small cheers, but the room stayed mostly silent, waiting for Uther to speak. He cleared his throat and began. "When King Alvarr said that more than one tradition would be broken today, I didn't believe him until he chose Merlin, this wonderful young lad, to be the new king of Escetia."

There were a few quiet cheers. Someone in the back yelled, "That throne should've been mine!"

Uther carried on. "From Merlin's time in Camelot, I've seen what an extraordinary young man he is. His intelligence and battle skills, I'm surprised he isn't some long lost royal." He paused to chuckle at his own joke. "So a toast, to King Merlin, who will lead Escetia in the way it _should_ go."

Merlin watched as everyone raised their goblets, he grabbed his, but when he looked over at Arthur, he was shaking his head. With a small frown, Merlin put down his goblet. Was he not supposed to raise his goblet too?

Before anyone could actually drink their wine, Lord Godwyn stood. "I have not had the pleasure to get to know this man, but I know I will be making multiple visits to Escetia now."

There were a few laughs from the people gathered and Lord Godwyn continued. Merlin did his best to pay attention, since they were giving the toast in his honor, but they were so boring! When he was just a servant, Merlin would always manage to sneak out of the room before the toasting started. He had no idea how Arthur managed to get through all of these feasts.

Merlin glanced at Arthur again and saw that he seemed to be listening to every word Lord Godwyn said. He probably wasn't, though, considering Arthur had years of practice to _pretend_ to be paying attention.

A heavy sigh escaped Merlin's lips and he resisted the urge not to slouch. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Arthur walked down the fire-lit corridors later that night. The feast was finally over and he had been the last to leave along with Uther. The toasts had been especially long and more than half of them were made by drunken noblemen. Most of them would also briefly mention that it should've been them that was chosen.<p>

Every time Arthur would turn to look at Merlin, just to check on how well he was handling the feast, he would always find him slouching in his chair playing with a fork or some other utensil. If Arthur was to be honest, he actually felt sorry for Merlin.

He would've talked with King Alvarr about rethinking his choice, but once the toasts were done, King Alvarr had already left. He asked a servant where the king went and he said that Alvarr had dismissed himself to his chambers._ So much for talking with him during the feast_, Arthur thought dismally

A hand suddenly grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him into an empty room. He spun around to begin fighting his attacker, but held back when he realized who it was. "_Mer_lin, what are you doing?" he asked. Even if the room was only lit by the candle Merlin held, Arthur knew it was him. He didn't see his crown though and wondered briefly what he did with it. He wouldn't put it past Merlin if he gave it to some family so they could sell it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I need your help!" Merlin whispered.

"With what?" Arthur asked warily.

"Talking with King Alvarr. Did you ever get a chance because I didn't."

"No, he left during the toasts."

Merlin groaned quietly to himself. That had to be one of the longest hour of his life. "I need to talk to him. Could you please come with me so you could talk to him too?"

"What good would I do there? I'm just going to end up listening to you pleading for him to take back his choice." Arthur said as he crossed his arms. As much as he did wish for Alvarr to take back his choice, he didn't want to make it easy on Merlin. He might actually think Arthur appreciated him.

"You're royalty though! Crown Prince of Camelot! That's got to count for something."

"Even if I'm there, I don't think he'll change his mind."

"But we could still talk to him?"

Arthur stared at Merlin's face. He was practically begging for goodness sake. "All right, fine. I'll go with you." Arthur finally gave in.

"Thank you so much, Arthur! Let's go right now!" Merlin said with a wide grin as he headed towards the door.

"Wait, right now? You want to talk with Alvarr right now?" Arthur followed Merlin out into the hallway.

"Yeah. Did you think I was going to wait until tomorrow?" Merlin asked with an incredulous grin. "The sooner I can get out of this, the better." He kept walking, not looking back to make sure Arthur was following him.

Arthur stood in front of Merlin, making him stop. "It's late, Merlin. He's probably asleep. We're going to end up waking him up."

"He won't wake up if we just quietly open the door to peek in." Merlin side-stepped Arthur and kept walking.

Arthur shook his head. He had no idea why he was following Merlin's plan. He continued walking with him, heading towards Alavrr's chambers.

Once in front of the door to Alvarr's chambers, both men stared at the large oak door, neither making a move to open it.

"I think you should be the one to open it." Merlin whispered. "You're the prince after all."

Arthur smirked. "Aren't you a king now? Besides, I'm not the one that wanted to talk to him. You were."

Merlin groaned. "But Arthur-"

"Don't be such an idiot, Merlin. Just open the door!" Arthur hissed.

Merlin narrowed his eyes at Arthur. Before he could even reach for the doorknob, someone spoke from inside.

"I know you're there. Come in…please." said the voice from inside.

Merlin and Arthur exchanged glances before walking in hesitantly. King Alvarr was sitting in a large chair in front of a dwindling fire. He turned slowly to look at them and smiled. "Ah, Prince Arthur and King Merlin. I was expecting you both."

Merlin gulped as he thought of what Gwen had said. Could King Alvarr possibly be a seer?

"How did you know we were coming?" Arthur asked, ever the one to dive in headfirst in any situation.

King Alvarr stood and walked to the table that was there. "I didn't say I knew you were coming. I just said I was expecting you to come. Have a seat please." He said.

Arthur listened to Alvarr and sat at the table. Merlin stayed standing, forgetting for a moment why he was there and thinking he was only a servant accompanying Arthur. All his thoughts about King Alvarr possibly being a seer was throwing him off completely

"Do you feel more comfortable standing, King Merlin?"

Merlin snapped out of his daze and looked at King Alvarr. "What?"

"I said-"

"Just sit down, Merlin." Arthur interrupted in a tight voice, not wanting Alvarr to waste his breath.

Merlin nodded his head and sat down in the seat opposite from Arthur. Alvarr was sitting at the head of the table and was watching them both. Amusement was present in his old eyes.

"So why exactly where you expecting us?" Arthur started.

"Because I knew that as soon as Merlin was chosen as king, _both_ of you would try to change my mind. I was surprised that it took you this long to come to me, but you've still come, haven't you?"

"It's just your decision makes no sense! Why would you choose _Mer_lin? He's just a servant." Arthur argued.

King Alvarr looked at Merlin with a knowing smile. "Oh, you'd be surprised to find out that he's more than just a servant. There's always more than meets the eye, young prince."

Merlin squirmed a little as Alvarr continued staring at him. "There really isn't more to me. I'm just a servant. Or at leastI _used_ to be."

Alvarr smiled again. "Of course."

Merlin groaned inwardly. Alvarr _definitely_ knew something. "King Alvarr, I really don't think I should become a king. I wouldn't know how to be a king! Can't you call together the council tomorrow morning and tell them you've changed your mind?"

"And who would I choose? Lord Evalac? He has a gambling and drinking problem. Lord Goma? He's the laziest man I've ever met. Sir Gorvenal? He's a womanizer. The only eligible person is you, Merlin."

"Well, couldn't you have divided up Escetia then? Give a fair amount of land to every kingdom?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, I could've done that, but can you imagine the consequences? I don't think all of the people in Escetia would be very happy about something like that happening. Plus, I know the kings would begin arguing about the amount of land they would be given. A number of wars could've started."

"But you could've chosen one of the princes that isn't in line to inherit a throne." Arthur pointed out.

King Alvarr chuckled. "No matter how much you argue with me, my decision has been made. Merlin is now King of Escetia."

Merlin groaned. "Great, I'm stuck as king until I die." He mumbled.

"Trust me Merlin, it won't seem as long as that." King Alvarr said.

Merlin frowned and looked at him.

He was going to ask him what that was supposed to mean, but King Alvarr let out a long yawn. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep. Now that you two have finally talked to me, I can sleep in peace. Good night." He dismissed them.

Arthur stood up and signaled for Merlin to do the same. They walked out of the room and silently walked down the corridor.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Merlin asked after a few moments.

"You're going to get ready to leave tomorrow."

"What? But Arthur, you can't-"

"Do anything. It is what it is. Nothing is going to change now. You're going to leave for Escetia and rule as king." Arthur said, turning around to look at Merlin to make sure his point went across. From Merlin's slightly shocked and hurt look, it did. "Now I'm going to sleep, Merlin. I suggest you do the same thing since you're going to have a big day tomorrow. And you better get your crown back. It wouldn't be very good for the King of Escetia to have already lost his crown."

Merlin ignored Arthur's comment about the crown and stayed frozen in his spot as Arthur walked away. "Wonderful. As one of my first acts as a king, I'm giving up." Merlin muttered as he headed towards his room.

His thoughts started to linger on what King Alvarr said. It wasn't going to be as long as it seemed? It made no sense! But then again Alvarr could be talking in riddles. Merlin narrowed his eyes. It reminded him too much of Kilgharrah.

Wait, what if that dragon had something to do with this? Merlin shook his head. Impossible. Merlin didn't think Kilgharrah would talk to any human since he'd been released, unless of course that human happened to be a dragonlord. He was the last dragonlord though! There was no one else…right?

Merlin held in a groan as he walked into Gaius' chambers. The aging physician was already asleep, but had left a candle on for Merlin to able to see where he was going. Grabbing the lit candle, he headed towards his own room. He changed out of his ridiculous clothes and into his nightclothes. As he laid down on his bed, his mind continued going through all the different possibilities of King Alvarr being connected to magic. While it was an absurd idea, it might actually be possible.

* * *

><p>Birds were chirping outside his window and people were chattering away about the latest gossip. Merlin groaned as he rolled over on his bed. He didn't want to get up, yet. Even if the sun was shining in his room, it was still too early for him to get up.<p>

A bell rung nine times. Merlin's eyes flew open and he jumped out of bed. He was late _again_. Arthur was going to kill him! He was probably in a grumpy mood since he had to wake himself up and even more since his breakfast wasn't there.

He quickly slipped on his boots, not bothering to tie them, and threw on a red tunic and grabbed his blue neckerchief. He slid his arms through his jacket as he walked out of his room. "Gaius, do you have something to eat that I can take with me? I'm late again and Arthur is going to be so mad. He might throw me in the stocks this time."

"King Merlin, why exactly would my son be mad at you? And he would _never_ throw you in the stocks."

Merlin snapped his head up and saw Uther standing next to Gaius. Once again, Merlin forgot about being made king. It was just so unbelievable! "Uh…s-sire…what are you doing here?" he asked. Merlin gave a quick bow and subconsciously began straightening his clothes and trying to smooth down his hair.

Uther chuckled. "I want you to come and eat breakfast with Arthur and I. We'd enjoy your presence greatly."

Merlin glanced at Gaius who had his eyebrows raised impossibly high from shock. "Um…well, I don't think I'm exactly dressed for breakfast with you sire."

"Nonsense, you're fine with what you're wearing. Breakfast will be served in ten minutes." Uther said. He smiled at Merlin before leaving the room, leaving a bewildered Gaius and Merlin behind.

"Well…you should at least wash up." Gaius said slowly.

"Gaius, you really don't expect me to eat breakfast with the king, do you?"

Gaius sighed. "It would be rude of you not to show up. It could very well become a political problem."

"But-"

"Merlin…" Gaius said in a threatening tone, looking at Merlin from under his bushy eyebrows.

Merlin harrumphed loudly as he headed to the water basin and washed his face. As he walked out of Gaius' chamber for the dining hall, Merlin felt as if he was walking straight towards his own death. He may have been over-exaggerating, but that's how it felt at the moment.

* * *

><p>From all the whispers she heard from the people, she understood that the new king was to arrive in two days; he might even make it in by tomorrow evening. Another interesting piece of information she heard was there was going to be <em>more<em> executions today. She wasn't able to find out what the crime was, though.

She let her hood fall off her head and he short, black hair was exposed. She hated being in the midst of people now. Before she had been used to it, but now she preferred her place in the forest. The forest was her new home. But if she was going to get what she wanted, sacrifices had to be made.

She walked up the steps towards a man that was standing there. He looked proud and arrogant. She made a mental note to get rid of him as soon as she could.

"Excuse me, sir?" she said, making sure to sound as meek as possible

The man looked at her, pushing his brown hair out of his eyes. "It's Sir Rylan."

She nodded her head. "Sir Rylan…please, I no longer have a home or food. My husband died and I have no children or family. I have no way of providing for myself. I was hoping I could work in the castle. Anything would be wonderful, I just…" she paused and forced herself to sniffle. She hated being like this, but it had to be done if she was ever to get the power she wanted…no_ craved_. "Please, you have to help me."

"What is your name?"

She opened her mouth, about to say her real name, but thought better of it. "Lausanne."

Sir Ryaln eyed her, as if trying to see if she could possibly be lying. "Come with me. You are going to have to speak with Sheriff Harvey, the acting leader of Escetia until our new king arrives."


End file.
